Summer cottage



Sepl l, 936. J, FlTCH 2,052,757

SUMMER COTTAGE Filed Aug. 7, 1933 .ratenteu Dept. 1, uw@

STA@

mais? FAT? @IFFQE Pacific Lumber Company,

San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of Maine Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,045

4 Claims.

This invention relates to summer houses or cottages which are occupied in the summer time and locked up during the winter, or such time as they are not in use.

The objects of the invention are to provide a summer cottage, particularly of the premanufactured variety, which will be easily erected, proof against the elements, which will have a broad covered veranda on any or all sides adaptable if desired as an auto covering roof, and

which house may all be closed up into a windowless and doorless building locked against unwarranted tampering, and further protecting the building against the elements when not in use.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a perspective view of my improved summer cottage ready for occupaIlCy.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the cottage closed up and locked.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of a portion of the roof of the cottage as taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of the ridge pole and roof slab joint therewith.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of a corner of the cottage as seen from the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of one of the folding veranda roof sections which serves to enclose the sides of the cottage.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing one of the Veranda roof sections at the end of the cottage and a weather guard strip secured to the cottage just above the upper end of the roof section.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of Fig. 6 as seen from the line 3 8 thereof.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section of Fig. 6 as seen from the line 9-9 thereof.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the veranda roof supporting poles showing the means of securing it in place at both ends.

Before going into a detailed description of the cottage it may be said that it consists of a ready-cut summer cottage, designed for easy erection and with especial regard to the roof construction and slanted extensions over the veranda on all sides which make a very broad covered place to sit under for dining and entertaining, also to serve as a garage for protection of the family automobile at one end or rear side of the cottage, with the further provision that these slanted sections may all be swung downwardly to cover all doors and windows and locked against the side of the cottage to thus enclose it all around to the form of a windowless and doorless box so that tramps and others cannot gain an 5 entrance during the long periods of time that such summer cottages are left unoccupied.

In Fig. 1 the cottage is shown With a plurality,

l to 8, slanted roof sections extending from the outer walls 9 of the building over a ilattened 10 ground space I0 or veranda, the outer edge of which is defined by a heavy mud sill or guard I I permanently set into the earth and serving as a leveling surface for the veranda lling which is preferably a few inches above the surrounding 15 ground.

The slanted Veranda roof sections are preferably made of stout boards having the cross section shown in Fig. 3, and the central sections such as 2 and 5 overlap the adjacent ones as 2 0 indicated, and all are suitably hinged to the outer walls of the building as by hook-like straps I2 hooking into hinge members I3 so arranged that a couple of men can easily hook them in place one at a time. The joint of these veranda 25 roof sections with the side walls is prevented from leaking by the overhang Ill of the main roof I4, or on the ends of the building by a guard strip I5 secured to the building wall in overhanging relation t'o the joint which is nailed 30 in place (as is the main roof) after the Veranda roof sections are hung in place.

Along the outer margins of the slanted roof sections are downwardly extending aprons or flap boards I6 sawed in scallops along the lower edge 35 as shown. 'These flaps are hinged at their upper edges as at i8 to beveled strips I9 which slide longitudinally in place between two spaced and confronting beveled strips 2U which are permanently secured to the under side of each roof 40 section. This makes for ease of erection. The hinges I2 at the upper ends of these roof sections are similarly secured to a beveled strip ZI which slides in place between two fixed strips as described for the lower end.

The roof sections are supported at their outer edges by decorative posts 22 (see particularly Fig. 10) which stand upon mud sills II and are secured in place by one or more hooks 23, while at the upper end they pass through iron loops or straps 2li and take the weight at their ends against strips I9. Bolts 25 are preferably passed through the posts and flaps I B to prevent a heavy Wind from lifting the roof sections.

In cross section the veranda roof sections, also the main roof iii, is made of thick wooden boards, preferably redwood on account of its lightness, together with weather resisting and nonwarping properties and great width commercially obtainable, each board flat underneath and formed with angularly extending tapered tongues 25, 2l', and complementarily tapered grooves 28, 29 at opposite edges as shown clearly in Fig. 3. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that a space 3@ is provided at the end of the tongue for discharging any water which might leak through the joint down and out at the lower edge of the roof. The joints may, of course, be put together with paint if desired. It should be noted that there is both a tongue and a groove on both edges of the boards, except, of course, at the final edge of the roof where it is removed to secure a clean edge for a finish. The boards are each channeled out on their upper surface as at 3l to throw the water away from the seams as well as to give an exceptionally fine ornamental effect.

Fig. 4 shows the roof boards extending into a groove in the ridge piece 39 and a tapered filler block or strip le driven in above them.

The walls S of the building are of any substantial construction provided with complete windows 32, and doors 33 with threshold 3G a few inches above the veranda le (though if desired level with the room floor) and the hinged veranda roof sections l to 8 etc. are of a length to come down almost to the veranda surface and completely cover all windows and doors without making it necessary to disturb them. In order to lower the roof sections the poles 22 are removed and placed inside the cottage, the aprons i6 are swung inward against the under sides of the sections and they are lowered to position shown in Fig. 2 entirely covering the doors and windows (which should preferably also be closed) and they are locked at the lower edge to the building by several padlocks 35 passing through suitable hasps 35 permanently secured on the edges of the roof sections and building walls, or by any equivalent means.

When thus folded down the veranda roof sections t at their extreme ends against ornamental corner posts 3l so that a prying hold will be prevented, and vermin will be to a great extent prevented from gaining access.

As stated, one side of the veranda may receive the family automobile under its roof to serve ask a garage, and to facilitate this a plank 38 may be slantingly placed along the sill I l Additional protection to the machine may be had by stretching a canvas covering, not shown, across the outer face of posts 22.

In considering my invention as above set forth it should be noted that the roof extensions form a complete enclosure for the entire outside walls of the building extending right across all existing doors and windows, and, therefore, differs in construction and function from such devices as vending stands and lunch counters where a hinged section swings outward to uncover a window or other opening, or seals it at night.

Besides the above, the gravel or stone veranda itself functions as a fire break when the cottage is sealed as it insures no inarnmable material coming within about nine feet of the outer walls (depending on the height of the cottage) so that no worry need be had as to grass or brush fires. Indeed, if desired, both the main roof and the veranda sections may be of corrugated iron so that when closed up the result is an exteriorly fireproof box.

Having thus described my improved summer cottage construction, what I claim is:-

l. A cottage having permanent side walls and provided with a veranda roof of rigid material pivotally connected at its upper margin to the cottage in a manner to fold downwardly against the side of the cottage and also when raised to extend outwardly therefrom, supporting posts at the outer margin of the extended roof, a board on edge extending along the outer end of said roof to form a depending apron, means hinging the apron for folding inward, a separate strip to which each apron is hinged, and means slidably positioning said separate strip to the under side of the roof.

2. A cottage roof comprising a vertically disposed piece extending along the ridge of the roof provided with longitudinally extending grooves at opposite sides, roof boards slanting downwardly from the ridge piece with their upper ends in the grooves, and taper blocks driven into the grooves above the boards.

3. A cottage having permanent side walls and provided with a veranda roof of rigid material pivotally connected at its upper margin to the cottage in a manner to fold downwardly against the side of the cottage and also when raised to extend outwardly therefrom, supporting posts at the outer margin of the extended roof, a board extending along under the outer end of said roof hingedly connected thereto at one edge so as to form a foldable apron functioning as a supporting girder for the roof when same is extended.

4. A cottage having permanent side walls and a permanent roof projecting beyond the walls at its outer margins, one of said walls being provided with a complete outside door and window, a veranda roof comprising a plurality of mutually overlapping sections of rigid material each pivotally connected at its upper end to the cottage under the projecting margin of the roof of the cottage and at a point above said door and window in a manner to fold downwardly against the wall of said cottage with the upper ends of the veranda roof sections spaced inwardly of the outer edge of the roof of the cottage, and removable supporting posts at the outer margins of the veranda roof for supporting the veranda roof in outfolded position, said door terminating at its lower end a substantial distance above the veranda floor with said wall continuing under the door, whereby the veranda roof when folded will completely cover and overlap said door and window at all sides thereof.

OTIS J. FITCH. 

